J .

1)CJff Pl J>!Itti}It;t,

OOtobor 2, 1939.

IWtO)Wli)UII 101\

THE SECRETARC OF STATE

Thlo lo a wholl y orl glnol thought wlth me and I h&Ye

dlaouoood i t with no ono eloo.

Wo Mvo, I thlnlt, 1111 or uo the thought that at tho

torci.nAt1on ot tho Europoo.n I'Jo.r , YJhothor it oome B coon ' '

or nox~ suamor or ~o 70ar1 or t1vo year• trom now,

thoro w·tll bo n. vo1'7 14rc:tO nu::lbor or Ntuaeoe - rotuseoo

ot Vilt'loua Chr1ot1o.n tditho, on \'foll o.o Jonah -- rotugeoa

oomin8 not from ono country but from otany oou.ntrioa, 1n­

clUd1ns oven En(:lo.nc! •nd f"renco nnd Itlllr .

Thoce people car bo rotuaooe boenuoo tho pl4oo thoy

live in will no longor ollOtT thoa to ata1; or theJ RJ:1

bo retua:oea •ho BO homco (l11d property hAvo boon uttor}Jr

4oatroyod o.nd ha.vo no eho.noe to start 11to o.now i n tho

old setting; refugees who tor re~'ona ot oon101enoe,

Chri stian o.nd Jewlab, toel that thoy can no longer

tolorato tho civilization ln wl ch they have boon brought

up; retuaee1 whoao t(UII.ll)' tlo a hn•o bean deatroyed and

who wnnt to oto.rt lito in a. whollJ now onv1ron~~ent.

It la ,., poraonal bollot that thoro wUl bo, 1n

&11 probobUl ty, .,,.. Chriat14n rotugeoo than Jow1ab

rotugooo.

A probl.e.a l a, therO:oN, ra1aed. aa to whothor,

boo4uso a vo~ largo number ot them will be CAtholioa,

tho Votloan 1t&elt may not don1ra to ~o on aotlvo

lntoreot 1n helping tho catholic rotuscoo to tlnd hooeo

ln wholl.Y new ourroundtnaa .

I Do.= wondering, therot~e , 1t you orid I chould

not bOl;ln tho coneidero.ti on, whll9 the cr " BUll on,

ot d1souoB11\B tho •hole oubJoct \11th tho Vatican ond

w1tb tho ropronontat1voa or tho Fod..or-tll OounoU ot

Churchoe 1n Aaer104 an4 aoce a1aU&r orp.nl.u t1ono 1n

£uropo.

~ I

Dep&rt•ent ot Sta t ·t OOJ))' pul>l1ehec1 in

For-olgn llolatlone !!: !!!!. ~ ~

1939 Vol. II General, !he 9r1t1oh Couonvel.l th, •n4 ~ope

~··· • IU9. R?o.

. . . . -2-

The contact w1th the Jews hils already been made through tho /.lyron Taylor Committee, which will moot hero in October, and which has concerned itoelr directly with tho Jewish problem.

The conto.ot with Protosto.nt churoheo oen readily be co. do in th1o country and "i th thn nquivalon t organi­~;a t1ons abroad.

But a contact lfith the Catholic Church ought to be mad~ directly with the Vatican itself, becauao thlo ques tion is or infinitely more importMioe to European Catholics than t o American Cntholice.

It is my thought, therefore, that while there i s no particular rco.son for haste, we mignt give con­sideration to sendina at a later do.to a opooial Minister or Ambassador on ;'jpoo1nl_111ss1on tn the Vatican, 1n order ~t we could have a ~oct aystom or communicati on covering the subject ot &uropean Catholic refugees.

I am 1nol1ned to tlnnlt that th1a is oot only c. practical i dea but tha t it also putR tho Ylhole refugee problem on a broad rel i gious basis, thereby making 1t possible to gain the kind or world-lf1do support that a mere Jewish relict oot-up would not evoke.

You might think t his over and talk with me about it at 1our oonvenionoo.

F. D. R.

•

' .

,

\.).

... : 'J ,' ,,_,.,..~ .. i • • . ...

J:Uhl1nh• d in P De~ ~ -rt,r.,•n t , r 5ttt t,. c o .... y

1~-~~ Yo) . I1 vr~,~t· \ , n•• Lr1 ':1sh Co!"'r.:on\·:Pi.lth , : :~ 1 F-l1~ o~e

THE WHITE HOUSE I ' •

WAQfiNGTON

October 19, 1939.

m!ORANDU~ FOR

THE SECRt:TARY OF STATE

Now t hn t ~ r',E"f 2 n 1 t~ Poli B!\ Governaent haa been set Up 1n Fran<";; -9no t'oTI!cr Pre£i dent Uoso~ok1 is no longer President, I r ecur to the historic Uni ted States friendship for Poland and t he h1atorio t not t h&t we have always welcomed refugees f rom det'eated democracies.

I wonder, therefore , whether i t would not be a fine thing to do i f we were to tell the Ro\.IIUIIlian Government that the Uni ted States would be glad to r oeoive former President uoaofbl::1 1f he oarea to v1sit thi s oountrr; t hat we have held no communics t1on w1th h1m and that this messll8e 1s being sent without his lmowle~e.

He i s an old man, 1n poor health, and I think the moral

THE WHIT!t HOUSE

WAIHINOTON

effect ot S'toh action on our part •:oulJ. b~ ~O.)cl throughout the world.

11e •·l.Ji'l t tlvan malce 1 t ens1or t or the nounw.nl:1n Gover l'lJllont to

r elease h1JD 1.t l'f8 send it in the

form of Bn 1nv1tat1on t o the former President to v\sit us .

F. D. R.

.. ' . ~ { n I

I

r.'"" r: H ._J_J I

~;a-! j(

H .:•;.o;.•,;.eao;;;b;;•:.;r:..::l;:•:..;l:.,:9~J~9.;·...: II

..... :'

Memor~~UD tor 8ernur4 K. 8aruoht

I bad o c:hec.k-u.p. ude by Yo'rioua •bauaioa .sm. th.e re­

cent v1a1t ot thu t worlU-renowueG, aeltleaa •~tes.wD,

_!lol\orable Ku.J1~ to l!:Urope tbia pust aWII:Ior . Here 1e t

o.o oxeorpt •hlch 1 tli1.o.k will U~U.se you t»ec"u.so I u \l,uite ·

certain t.h.nt oeithor you nor I , who 'belona to the •ore

pr4Ct1c&l acbool ot ~t, would ever have coamiaaionod

Honorable Ram to repreaeot ua or apeak tor ua .

1 oieh tbla c r t ut Pooh-bah would co back to Bor.ard

t.D4 p~ tacklo oo tbo rootb"U teaa. lie 1o ~u•l1!1ecl

!or that J ob.

·~ Lo.ndoo, AUgUSt Jrd,,

r. D. B.

•ChAr&• d ' &t·talret: J ohnson reeo1v*C1 a t ele­

grwt J.'roa P'l :sh , "-h.o •~• thea 1n Dublin, ia.Sk.1n&

tor ~ea1• te •ppo1Dta•ntl .tth Pride W1n1ater

o:.nd ?orc i &D M1n1stor. AUjC\ll t 4tb, P1ah ssw Lord

8&U.tax. B1s l.les1re ,..,, tu uc"ua1nt Lord Hul1!tt1

• 1tn ... vropuso... .. "h!cb. he 1nt·eo<led to pl .. c e be­

tore the lute~ r!1ame~tury Conference ~t O•lo,

contU.J\10.; "" - "c:ea tion ~t a. larce ureu ot

- ;l -

Bri t13h terr i tory 1n Centr;,.l Afr!cc. be sut u:,ide for tha settlement of Jews, unu .f'ish ;.s:;ured Lord l:ial 1.fax thut the people with ~rhom he "'""' counercto<1 in the Unitea St<~te.s would be able to .f1n .. nce !IUOh bD UOCI.Ol'tal<ing .

".!o'isll lt~ft Lonuon the next d11y for .Purls . On his r eturn to Eu~::lund h u me t l.ir . McDonllld, Ministe r .t.or t.he Colonie:; . The only subje~ct theu discussed w:..s ~r . Fish' s pro posul, ori,;inally !IUi;t;ested to Lord Hulifux, t.hu t u l 11.rgo ilreu in Con t r Hl Afr i cu be set ~<siue !or settl m.tont of Jewish r oru;;'les .

"While i n Puris on August lOth, he saw 14 . Bonnet, .ll.inister of Foreign Af f airs, und M. Mandel, lHni:l t~r of Coloni es . He spoke of the refuge~ problum u1 0en­eral, JA•mtl.onoci hi:s ll.nt.,restln.r to.Llt with Lord H:.li­!.'ux' Knd suiu thut the l deu wus o.dvcuced by t . private Americun group who uuthor!~ed the Congressman to speak in th~ir b0hal ! 1 looking to cvlonizati on of un area south unli "est of L;,.kt! Tchnd -- l~>nu to b~ pro­vided by Grea t Britain ~d Fruncd - - colonizhtion to be finunced by the ~eric~ group . He t old the French that he u_so pl~ned a 51~1lar discuss ion w1t!l Her r von Riobentr op &.nd, 1! pvs:~ible, 'kith Herr Hitler .

"He contempl ated a sweeping attt.cK or th e ent.ire problem on a lu.rge sculo . He t.d'<ild in t~rms or t"o m!ll1on or thr'.!e million persons ; t!lL ~ .!. t is up to Great Bri tui n WHi Fr unce to multc uvui.s.<.ble su! table lund from the i r colon11.l posse:l~ions 1n At"ric1. . l:ie s o.ld lt is not a ~uestion of 111011ey u.s th•J A..N rlcan group "''ill w:.Ke ;,.v;. ll~>ble :,mplc i'=ds, a s much a ~ one hunur~d mill ion dollars .

•1o1. BorUlet r eferr!le him to M. lol<>nd.-.1..

"H" r.~pc<• t ed to lltr..ne.el wh:;. t 'l·: ~ad 8 1> i d to Bonnet w1u t.a..teCL t!111 t in !lis opi:~ion ~~:.un~tiSCbr c.:>ulC. ucco~~~o-r.oda to se·t or:.l tens o1' thousands of r e1·u;;oe:; , :.md in a.!dition, New C~;tledoni~; , tile Hebrides hlld t h•l l.!ur,,uesas Islunds would be a vc. ilu.ble.

- J -

• He po1nt-,c,1 out '-lu.t the a WQ;y ot c.oe .t.ar: rico.n Coc.;Utt.e• h-;.1.1 ~hOlln Uuat. OO'I'.tOt)' t.nOUSIJHC !rt..nc.s p~r t:...,.,ily -auld 'be 'ti\OUCh 1.u u Yr onch colon1.o1 po.uae:u!.on . • lto t' t: ;,liiJ.U t tu t.h• • 1111n.,nea:t bl\4 \.. .... -k'Oillt.¥ or his c ttroup to r tslso on~ hwaure-<t :allUuu do.Hor , . Se .:poke l l . .J! a ~un yvttr i)erlod. :,

"Hn ~~c~~~ to be un~or the 1mpr~eo1on ~u t tho ComeroontJ is ttllJ. Oertakl\ torrito ry ana s.n1<1 he oov.lc:t t 5.lk '& lt.b I\1'obc:tat.rop WH) H.LUor ubou t thl!t .

"Our ~~rlcun Emb~ ISY m.n, Count Hl or of E=b~ssy , Murphy , .ds.~"J. F'l$n \ol\0 ""r• 1ftclu1.1oa ln the AJJ+:rican ~roup •• nd. Pl.sJ\ uulu thut th• ~u:tti,r bolJ.~ ~o•n illor• o r le:u t.o 8dr nt• r~ Barucn, troa 'lfhOfl he tu,.U got too. the 1Clet. . S u ~ ... 1d th.ut )lr. alt.t'Uc.h ru..a •so~~ur~<J. tum it. w~d not be <11!!1~\ll.t to r u1ae u 1 w ch ua oae huncl.rcG ca1111on u.ol.h .rs tor t.b.e vu.r~W••· &tr. Ssr"'c.b sulci t.hu.t he ~1\4 c.. nuao~r o.:" b.1s rr1•nu.a would. be •lllill~ t.o a1ve t ·eG pilr c vnt ot th•1 r tortunos to aueh "' proJvct. Ur. Bitru.c.':i. a~ouc wvuld couc.rlbute •bou t c.hree ~alllioo doli • r :s . •

••••••

Honorable Barnard & .. ru.ch, $?7 ~a~idon Avonuo, N•w York City.

M~ dear Mr. President:

DEPARTMENT OF &TATit

WASHINGTON

October 30. 1939

With reference to your memorandum of August 29,

r equesting that a report be made on Representative Hamilton

Fioh'e activities in Europe, I enclose oopiee of despatohee

which have been received respectively from the Ameri can

Embaesiee at London, Paris and Berlin, and from the

American Legations at Helsinki ~d Oslo.

M.r. Fish visited London on August 3 and 4 and later

at the close of the Intsrparliamentary meeti ng at Oslo .

During hie visits to London Mr. Fish arranged appoi ntments

through t he Embaesy with Lord Halifax, the Secretary of

State for Foreign Affairs, and Y.r. Malcolm McDonald, the

Minister for Colonies, with whom be disouosed on behelf

of the •people with Whom I ac connect ed i n the United

States•--wnom he subsequently identified to t he Counselor

of the Paris Embassy as Mr. Bernard Baruch and some

unspec11'1ed

The President,

The 'llh1 te Hour e

-2-

unapeo1t1ed pereone who are aaaooiated with Xr. Baruoh-­

an amb1t1oua eoheme tor the settlement of Jevlan r etugeee

1n Central Atr1oa.

After London, Mr . F1ah v1s1ted Parle where he arranged

througn the Embaeey appointments with M. Bonnet, the

Foreign Min1eter, and M. George• Mandel, the M1n1ater of

Colonies . In hls oonveraat1ona v1th MM. Bonnet and Mandel

Xr. Flab adverted to hla plan tor the settlement ot

retugees on land 1n Atr1ca to be provided by Britain and

France and financed by the American group . In hls oon,·er­

eat1on with M. Bonnet he alec touched upon pol1t1cal quee­

t1one ond explained his vi eva with regt~.rd to American

neutral! ty.

On August 12 Jl.r . Fieh arrived i n Ber l in. During h1e

vie1t in the German Capital he vas accompanied by a

member ot the stat! ot the German Forei gn Ot!iee and wno

received, at Salzburg, by Herr von Ribbentrop, the Gernnn

Foreign ~!1n1ster . Mr. Fish retrained from ta..1<1ng the ·

Embassy 1nto hls contldence vlth regard to hlo converon­

t1on wl th !!a :or Ton R1bbentrop. !!e made var1:>us atAteornta

to t~e ~ress, ho~ever, which 1nd1oated that he had die­

cuRsed major pollt1eal questions with t he German Foreir,n

M1r.1ster ~~d, among other t hings , that he wee willing to

act as ar~1~rntor ot the Danzig 1osue .

-3-

Mr. Fieh made a second vieit to Berlin at the close or t he Oelo meeting but bad to leave suddenly due to the ou tbrealt or war . "

Mr. Fish arrived in Oslo on August 16 in Herr von R1bbentrop's private a.1rplane. He l ett Oelo on Augus t 19 upon the termination or the Interparliamentarr meeting. Mr. Fish distinguished himself at the Oslo meeting notably b7 moving a reeolution that the Conference request the British, French, German and Italian Governments to arrange a thirty-day or more •moratorium on war• . Hie motion was not well received by the meeting and Mr. Hambro, President or the Norwegian Stort1ng, made the point that the members o r the Interyarliamentary Union should not. act over the heads or responsible Governments at the risk or complicating ra~~er than aiding their task.

From Oslo Y~. Fish went to Helsinki, where he con­ferred with the Foreign Minister. He ref erred to his conversAti on with Herr von R1bbentrop and expressed h1r. opinion that there vas no problem in Europe which woulc Jue t i!y war and that Danzig was overwhelmingly Germn.n e.nd should be returned to Germany. From Helsinki l'.r . Fish returned to Berlin , which he was obliged to leave almo~t 1!'UIIed1ate1y, and sailed to the United States rrom England.

Mr.

1

•

Mr. Fish gave out numerous interviews to the press

during hr e visits in the va.rioue · European Cf.pitalR,

expreeeipg hie views on the current politio~l situation.

The text• ot those interviews are enoloaed.

Faithtul~y yours,

Enclosures:

Despatches trom: l. Helsinki 2. Oslo 3 . London 4. Paris 5. Berlin

nfE WHITC HOUse W..uHJHOTOH

l.:f.

Janu&JT 111 , liMO.

l(EJrOR.\NDUll FOil

THE BII:O!It.""tAIU OP STAt'S

I am 1nol1nod to thlnk

•• should take aotlon on th11

dl.rectl.T w1 th the Gel't:l&ll

Gcr ... nuaent and g1n 1t publ1o1 ~.

r. o. 11.

ro . 39 troa Rc.-:e 1n r~ """'"~'1 t:> the Prtut 1.de .. ~: by ?olls."'­;>r-ot'eal!ora- or t .le Jnco"tlo.t1:u~ C!':.lverGlt:t a.t. Cr'\cow to holp t.h!'::n. The~ ue 1.n oono•ntNtl~n CfiQPS n..n4 A.re l.nnuoanly trfu\ t-ed.

April l7a 19.0.

Dear J.l.r. sooretlley:-

I, too, hau hoard or the epoeoh made b7 lfl'". Norem, ~et-1oan i41n1ster t o L1thumia. He 1~ , ~o I un1orot~nd 1t, a ~1n1ster or the Luthel'.'•n Churoh . \'noro aoems t o be no doubt that

his speech ~.11e violently o.nt1-:lom1t1c.

In v1~:v ot h i s n;>par ont ! a llure to ! C>llo':7 t.lle 1nal:rurlt:.ons o! the Sto.to Depart­o9nt, I oug~~st the !ollo~tng procedure:

(1) '!'hat r ou oonter with Senator .iil1pat ead and senator Murra3', who were his original aponsors, cxpla1n-1n~ the ettuRt.1on t o them, and tell thee that you see nothing f or 1t but t o ack t or h1s 1m:od1a;e resignation as U1n1ater to L1thoon1a.

( li) Send to ~. Hor em a d1reot request t or his 1mcei1ate r esignation on t ho ground or the speeah and on t he 1'urther ground tha t he t a 1led to carey out the instructions ot the Department.

Ver1 e1noere11 yours,

file Honorable !he seoret&rJ ot State,

Washington, D. c.

I)£ .. ARTIIIIENT OF ITAT E: WA I H I N OTO N

Apdl 16. 19 .0

lly coar !!r. Preetdent :

It ie my duty to l~y before you ~hat I consider

a aertoua dereliction on the p8rt ot Yr . Owen J . c .

Nore•, ~~ertoan ~1n1ster to Lithuania.

AI you were advieed 'by Sttnator 'tfheeler, 1!r. NereiD

ua~e an address in ~inneapolia Whil e he Wfl in the

Uni ted Statee on leave wnicn Wfl cr1t1ctzed by toraer

Governor Benson e.ncl several other creel ible and reepon­

aible wttneasea as being Ylolently ant1-Se21t1e. In

addition to the coa=untca~ton fro. Senator Wheeler t~e

Department was advised by Repreeentattve Bloom that he

ned heard trom RAbbi Wise and several othere highly

critical co~~ent about ur. Norem • a addreaa.

~r. Norem was suomoned to the Dop~rtment where

he prepared f rom memory a atatmnent of tho ro~:~a..rks he

r.ad m&de which were oonatderubly at variance with the

atatementa made by tr.oee w:ao heard hh re11a.rlc:e.

At tne request or Repreaoctat1ve Bloo~ ur. Moree

..... Tbe President,

The White House.

-2-

vaa instructed to call upon the Ch&lrman ot tho Fore1~n

Att&lre Ooaaittte or tbe Hou1e and to 41acuae the aatter

vtth hlo. Ur . Nore.;a lett lJalhington vlthout calllno upon

Reoreaent ntlvo Bloom. Subetquently he vae reached 4t hie

hotel l .n Uew Xorlt and 1natruoted to call Congreaaman Hlooa

on the telephone beror·e he ea.1led . He de:aurred a.n4 a.a.ld

that he ha4 dleoueeed tbe matter v1th Senator Shlpatead

a nd Senn:cor Hurray and that the latter hAd o.dv'1sed h1CI

not to tal.k to Congreeuan Blooa . Being a.g&in tnatruoted

to do eo he gave the Lspreaelon over the telephone ot a

reluctance to oo=~ly vlth tho l natruotton but d id not de­

cline to do ao. However, he aalled from Nev York Saturd~y .

Apr11 6, vlthout having oommun1ca ted with Mr . Blooa in con­

travent i on or the 1netruotlona or the Depart:ent ~

All the otre~etencee or the case oonatltut e a fla­

grant vlOlAtlon of the Dop&rtment•a &tanding 1natruotlone

and or the Departaent ' a ~o1t1c 1natruot1ona snd are ot

auch gravity that I teel 1t proper to bring the aatt er to

your attention .

You may rome~btr that Kr . Nor em wae appointed M1nlater

on the reco02end&t1on or Senator Kurr&J or Montana &n4 that

Senator Wheeler proteate4 at the tlae ft8a1nlt b1e appoint­

mont .